Ned Doheny is a consummate performer and songwriter. One who has shown that it is possible to cross boundaries and genres without compromising. His combination of pop, funk, soul, disco, jazz and AOR has made him one of the most timeless of all the West Coast artists from the 1970s - and that in itself is the ultimate compliment.
If you ever want to know just how much of a reputation Ned Doheny has among people who matter, then a list of those who committed themselves to helping out on these two albums should do the trick. This includes Steve Cropper, Don Henley, Linda Ronstadt, Glenn Frey, Tower Of Power, David Foster, J.D. Souther, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Porcaro and Steve Perry.

They are the sort of talents who don't just turn up at the studio for everyone who asks them. These are people of the highest calibre, who pick and choose what they do.

Vogue cover model turned singer-songwriter Rosie Vela's 1986 one and only album, finally re-mastered and reissued on its 25th Anniversary. Contains the UK Top 30 single and radio perennial `Magic Smile'.

Produced by longtime Steely Dan collaborator Gary Katz, `Zazu' reunited band members Walter Becker (on guitar) and Donald Fagen (on keys) to work together for the first time after a six year hiatus.

Brimming over with hypnotic melodies and elusive lyrics, Rosie's unique songwriting and deeply sensuous vocal scat singing style - blostered by the superlative musicianship of Becker, Fagen and co - mark this as a `lost classic' of West Coast adult contemporary rock.

Long unavailable in Europe and US, early CD pressings of `Zazu' has become highly sought-after by fans and will appeal to both Steely Dan completists and fans of Vela who sent the album into the UK Top 20 on its original release.

Drew Zingg has been a moving force in music for 30 years...as music director and lead guitarist for Steely Dan, with Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald, Marcus Miller, David Sanborn, Phoebe Snow, Alana Davis and Patti Austin...you've heard Drew, perhaps you didn't know it was Drew Zingg, but if you are a fan of this sound, these great musicians and songsmiths, you've heard Drew. Guitarists of every generation, all over the world have been inspired by his unique, emotional and technically brilliant playing and have compared him to the best guitarists of the last 50 years...in fact, Drew might well be the best guitarist you never heard of...

Westcoast/AOR: Valerie Carter - Wild Child [SRCS 6358]

Wild child, Valerie Carter's 1978 follow-up to her debut Just a stone throw's away, was clearly designed to broaden whatever audience she may have had gained in the prior year. Really, she didn't make that big of an impact in 1978 — the debut peaked at 1982 and spent five weeks on the chart without generating a single hit — but it was enough to hold out the possibility that she could go further. So James Newton Howard signed on as the producer, bringing in top-flight studio musicians like Jeffrey Porcaro and Jay Graydon to perform a set of songs from various sources — ranging from songs Carter co-wrote with Newton Howard to covers of Andy Fairweather Low and Eugene Record. The result was a pleasant soft-rock affair with light disco touches and jazzy flourishes, but it failed to even chart and Carter soon disappeared from sight. In hindsight, it's not a huge surprise since Wild child is hardly a lost gem and nothing on the record sounds remotely like a hit. They all could have been played on radio, sure, with their smooth productions and endearingly laid-back vibe, but there's not many hooks and Carter isn't an especially charismatic vocalist, no matter how professional and, well, pleasant she may be. As it turns out, Wild child isn't wild, it's a period piece that has its moments for aficionados of the era (Lady in the dark is especially good, with its harder-rocking edge), but it never transcends its time, except for the most hardcore soft-rock collectors. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

After many classic and award winning hit recordings with The Doobie Brothers as well as his many important stints with Steely Dan and other top selling recording acts, Michael McDonald struck out on his own and launched his own very successful solo career. His voice is one-of–a-kind, while his music fuses all the elements of rock, soul, pop and jazz that only an artist of his caliber could successfully achieve. No Lookin' Back continues the tradition which has made Michael McDonald become one of the world's greatest gifts to popular music. This gold and platinum rocker's second album features the Top 5 title track which also reunites the writing duo of Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins (What A Fool Believes, I Gotta Try), as well as the super mega hit Sweet Freedom from the movie Running Scared. The multi-format crossing album also delivered several other smashes at radio including the soul rocker Bad Times, which features the amazing lead guitar of Joe Walsh (Eagles, James Gang). This smoking tune was played heavily on radio stations throughout the year as well as tracks Don't Let Me Down and I'll Be Your Angel.

Never short on A-list musician friends to choose from, No Lookin' Back features some of the greatest talent of all time including guitarist extraordinaire Robben Ford, the late great Jeff Porcaro on drums (Toto, Steely Dan), David Pack from Ambrosia, plus his Doobie Brother alumni Willie Weeks on bass and the late great Cornelius Bumpus on horns.

After the success of our Michael McDonald Take It To Heart CD and subsequent Doobie Brothers 180 Gram releases, it is true to say that we are very proud here at Friday Music to be the home of this incredible effort. Remastered impeccably from the original Warner Bros. tapes by Joe Reagoso, as well as including all of the stunning original art elements, No Lookin' Back by Michael McDonald surely looks to be one of the most anticipated revisits of his long career.

ADIKA PONGO, one of the leading bands on the European and Italian Soul scene, have been grooving audiences since 1993, combining original songs with enticing cover versions of major funk/soul/disco hits. Careful listeners can trace elements in the ADIKA PONGO sound to fundamental music roots from the 70s and 80s, muich like Incognito and The Sunburst Band, but Adika Pongo really has a style of its own that is guaranteed to get feet moving. This band is absolutely amazing! said Lionel Ritchie, after having performed with them in 2004. Riding the wave of their success with live performances, Adika Pongo s first CD comes out with us here at Expansion featuring songs first laid down in 1997, as well as new tracks recorded with their current lead vocalist Francy. Among the guest artists, a special mention goes to Norma Jean Wright and Luci Martin (ex vocalists of the remarkable band Chic), Robbie Dupree (nominated for Grammys and twice in the Top Ten on Billboard) and Steve Khan (known for his numerous solo projects and his work with Steely Dan, Weather Report, Brecker Brothers, Dianne Schuur, Donald Fagen et al). Some songs are sung by Baruch "Darling" Chadwick, one of the first solo vocalists to perform with Adika Pongo, who unfortunately died prematurely in 2004. Two songs on the new CD feature a duet with Francy and are a tribute to him. Two songs from this album, Chill Out and The Look In You Eye , have just been released on the soul compilation "Luxury Soul 2011" by the Expansion Records. This album was recorded between Rome and New York City. The 1997 s songs were mixed by Michael Landy at the Review Room at GRP in New York. In 2006 ADIKA PONGO performed at the Disco Fever 2006 at the Pavilhao Atlantico in Lisbon, Portugal, an annual event dedicated to disco music, which featured also Kool & Gang. In 2004-2005, ADIKA PONGO have created and performed in the Big Party Live Show , a show which featured also dancers and a sensational string section. In 2000, the band also released a new version of the Tom Tom Club hit Wordy Rappinghood for the label New Music International.

Special Limited Deluxe Collector s Edition / Fully Remastered Sound shaped from 24 BIT digital technology / 12 page full colour booklet 4,000 word essay, enhanced artwork, memorabilia, rare photos and full involvement from the artist / Produced by Jeff Porcaro from Toto. IN KEEPING with Rock Candy s penchant for exposing great, yet relatively unheralded melodic rock music, we now turn the spotlight on an obscure Los Angeles based five-piece named, rather curiously, The Strand. Although the name may not be recognisable, some of the band members will be very familiar to fans of sophisticated melodic rock. The Strand s origins can be found in a group called Rural Still Life, the very same group that spawned hugely successful multi Grammy winning West Coast AOR stars Toto. In common with Toto the band were also extremely talented players, some having backed Boz Scaggs both live and in the studio. Just like the session players that birthed Toto, they too hatched plans for their own group, quickly securing a deal with Island Records. Signed personally by Island founder Chris Blackwell (and named by him), the band s one and only album, originally released in1980, was produced, not unsurprisingly, by long time friend and colleague, Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro. The results, as you might reasonably expect, are spectacular, boasting killer songs, jaw-dropping musicianship and superb arrangements, all bathed in a stellar production. Listen out too for vocalist Rick Moon Calhoun, one of the greatest, yet largely overlooked, vocalists of the genre.

Following the much acclaimed debut record Art Work, WORK OF ART release In Progress. While main songwriter and guitarist Robert Sall contributed heavily to the success of the W.E.T. project with Jeff Scott Soto and Erik Martensson and singer Lars Safsund kept busy singing on other projects, WORK OF ART have been working hard to create the foundations of another amazing piece of music. And in reality In Progress gives melodic rock fans exactly what they’re looking for, with songs that stick in the ears from the first second and amazing musical licks. The new album shows three musicians who have matured a lot their abilities and gel together in a very natural way, presenting a sound which--still encompassing different influences--is now defined and recognizable as their own.